Chapter 1. Introducing Nautilus

Table of Contents
The Nautilus Window
The Nautilus Desktop
Setting Nautilus to Start Automatically
About GNOME

Nautilus is a core component of the GNOME desktop environment. Nautilus provides an easy way to view, manage, and customize your own files and folders, as well as browse the Web.

Nautilus integrates your access to files, applications, media, Internet-based resources, and the Web, making it easy and fast for you to locate and use all the resources available to you.

The Nautilus Window

Figure 1-1. The Nautilus Window

Menu Bar

The eight menus contain options for most file- and folder- management tasks and let you personalize your view of all the applications, folders, and files on your hard disk. The preferences menu, represented by the symbol to the right of the Help menu, lets you specify your level of Linux and GNOME experience.

Toolbar

The toolbar lets you use a single click for browsing and searching your computer's directories as well as locations on the Web. Click the Services button for quick access to Eazel Services, a suite of services specially designed to address the needs of Linux users.

Location Bar

Use the location bar to enter path names, Web addresses (URLs), or other types of addresses. The pop-up menu on the right end of the bar lets you choose various views - for instance, View as Icons or View as List. Click the + and - signs to enlarge or reduce icon or list view. Click the magnifying glass to return to original size. (If you've changed your theme, the magnifying glass may be replaced by another symbol.)

Sidebar

The sidebar displays information about the current file or folder. Each of the four tabs at the bottom of the sidebar provide additional information or help:

Note: If your user level is set to Beginner or if you've changed your sidebar preferences, you may not see all four sidebar tabs.

Status Bar

The status bar contains information about menu items. To see an explanation for a menu item, point to it and read the status bar text.

Main Panel

The main panel in the Nautilus window is where you do most of your browsing. Files, folders, and applications are displayed here. You have several options for modifying and customizing your views.